Wix Alternatives for DIY Website & Blog Creators

There has never been so many options for starting a website or blog. Wix was one of the companies to really start the “drag & drop” design revolution where non-developers could start and setup a unique, fully-functional, beautifully designed website with no knowledge of HTML/CSS. They have been the name brand in the website builder industry for quite a while.

But what if you want an alternative to Wix? After all – there is no such thing as a “best website builder” – only the best for your project. And if anything has truly changed in the past decade – it is choice. Website owners can not only forego a developer/designer – they can go right to the DIY setup that fits their needs, expertise and focus.

In my career as a marketing consultant, I’ve been able to use and consult on a full range of website builders, software & platforms for both my in-house projects and client projects. While Wix is a fine for some projects, I also thought it would be useful to have a list of Wix alternatives along with what they do well & who they focus on.

Disclosure – I receive customer referral fees from companies listed on this website. All data & opinion is based on my professional experience as a customer or consultant to a customer. Read my full reviews of various website builders here.

Guide to Wix Alternatives

Here’s an extended guide to each, along with other Wix alternatives for specific use cases.

Weebly

Weebly is known as a drag and drop website builder. But – they also have plans that add ecommerce functionality. Weebly is not as big or as established as Wix, but I found that their approach to rendering your site is more web-friendly. They also give more control & support. If want a Wix-like setup, but without some of Wix’s problems, then Weebly is a good choice.

WordPress.com

WordPress.com is the commercial provider of the open-source & community-supported WordPress software. They provide a managed platform where they provide a limited version of WordPress software in exchange for taking care of all the technical considerations. You can make use of the versatility of WordPress without worrying about HTML/CSS, security, speed or hosting.

WordPress (self-hosted)

WordPress is free, community-supported software that “powers” your website. In the industry-jargon, it is a “content management system” that allows you to log into you site’s backend to change the design, functionality, content – anything you can dream up. To run it, you have to purchase hosting and install it. Unlike a hosted platform like Wix, it allows you unlimited options. You control your expenses (as little as $3/mo – as much as $1000s). There are even drag & drop builders that install “on top” of WordPress. It has a steeper learning curve than Wix, but also provides more opportunity.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a major brand in the website builder industry, thanks to their heavy ad spend on podcasts & Super Bowl ads. They do not have drag & drop, but do offer a user-friendly platform with a focus on design. They are pricier than other options (and have inherent hosted platform limitations), but serve as an excellent name-brand Wix alternative.

Other Wix Alternatives

There are, of course, tons of other alternatives including options that either have a specific use case, I haven’t used enough to fully judge or don’t quite have features/benefits that the alternatives listed above already cover.

That said, I’ve had managers compiling a list for internal evaluation. Here’s the list that I usually provide.